Tonga

1 • INTRODUCTION

The Tonga live in southern Zambia along the Zambezi River. The name
Tonga
is apparently from a word in the Shona language that means
"independent."

Many other ethnic groups in southern Africa traditionally had
centralized forms of government, but the Tonga recognized no chiefs.
There were, however, certain people within Tonga society who had
authority. The
Sikatongo
was a priest who made sure that the spirits would take care of the
people and make the crops grow. In every neighborhood (a grouping of
several villages), there was also a man called the
Ulanyika,
the owner of the land. The Ulanyika was usually the first settler in
the neighborhood. He had some influence in his neighborhood, and hunters
gave him part of every animal they killed there.

Like all the peoples of Zambia, the Tonga came under British rule at the
end of the nineteenth century. Zambia gained independence in 1979 under
the leadership of Dr. Kenneth Kaunda. He ruled until 1991, when he lost
the presidential election to Frederick Chiluba, a trade-union activist.

2 • LOCATION

The Tonga belong to the Bantu group of peoples. They are concentrated in
southern Zambia along the Kafue River and Zambezi River. Most of the
Tonga area has poor soil and irregular rainfall, which makes farming
difficult. For the most part, the area is thinly populated.

The Tonga make up 15 percent (or 1.3 million) of Zambia's total
population, which is currently estimated at 8.5 million people.

3 • LANGUAGE

The Tonga belong to the Bantu language family. Their language is known
as
Chitonga.
It contains many words that are similar to those in other Bantu
languages such as
Bemba, Chichewa,
and
Luyana.
For example, "to write" in all three languages is
kulemba.
A chicken is known as
a'nkoko
in
Bemba,
nkuku
in Luyana,
nkhuku
in Chichewa, and
inkuku
in Tonga. In all four languages, a traditional doctor is called
ng'anga.

4 • FOLKLORE

The Tonga have no written history from the time before British explorer
David Livingstone arrived in the early 1850s. But like many other
peoples in Africa, they have a rich tradition of oral history and
folklore. In almost all the villages, elders are the keepers of mythical
stories. The stories, usually with animal characters, are told around a
fire at night. They convey traditional principles, values, and customs,
as well as the origins of the Tonga people.

One of the stories deals with the beginning of Tonga society. A local
tradition suggests that before the arrival of the British there was a
powerful chief in the town of Monze. According to oral tradition, the
first Monze chief descended from heaven. He called the Tonga people to
join him and settle in his chiefdom. Most people liked the chief because
he had the power to heal, to cause rain, and to keep the peace. He did
that by frustrating enemies through his communication with the spirits
of the ancestors.

5 • RELIGION

In traditional Tonga society, there is a well-developed cult of the
"shades," or
muzimu.
It is believed that at death each person leaves a shade or spirit, a
muzimu. The muzimu commutes between the spirit world and the world of
humans. Witchcraft and sorcery are also part of traditional beliefs.

Many Tonga have been converted to Christianity because of missionary
work by Europeans. Missionaries demanded that the Tonga and other people
give up traditional beliefs and practices such as polygamy (having more
than one spouse), ancestor worship, and witchcraft. At first, there were
only a few converts. In modern times, many Tonga practice both
Christianity and traditional religious beliefs.

6 • MAJOR HOLIDAYS

The major national holiday in Zambia is Independence Day on October 24.
Zambia obtained its independence from Great Britain on that day in 1964.
During this day every year, celebrations are arranged in major cities
and throughout the countryside. There is much drinking, dancing, and
singing.
In the afternoon, people gather in stadiums to watch soccer matches.

7 • RITES OF PASSAGE

In the past, most Zambian peoples had special initiation ceremonies and
education for children as they reached adolescence. The Tonga did also,
but their initiation ceremony was simpler than most. A girl trained for
her future role as a man's wife. Usually, there was a period of
living away from the village, and a short ceremony marked the
girl's maturity. She was given a new name to signify her adult
status.

A prospective husband had to pay bride-wealth to the family of his
bride-to-be, usually in the form of cattle. After marriage, a couple
lived in the husband's village. Polygamy (having more than one
spouse) was traditionally encouraged, but this practice is dying out.

Among the Tonga, there is a strong belief that children must be taught
and trained for adult life. Children are taught proper manners by older
people. During their teenage years, boys and girls are encouraged to do
their separate chores according to their sex. Girls' chores are
to draw water from wells and fetch firewood, while boys hunt small game
and fish. But there are times when boys do girls' chores, and
vice versa.

8 • RELATIONSHIPS

Girls and boys who have not reached adolescence are encouraged to play
together. People talk freely in the presence of children about matters
such as menstruation, pregnancy, and childbirth. Most parents feel that
sexual play between children of the same age is not a matter for
concern. However, an older man or woman is not permitted to have a
sexual relationship with a girl or boy.

When a boy who has reached adolescence decides to marry, he can find his
own bride. However, he must tell his parents and uncles so that they can
negotiate with the parents of the girl, since bride-wealth must be paid.

Married women are expected to respect and cook for their husbands, and
men are expected to take care of their wives. In the presence of men, a
woman is expected to observe traditional female etiquette such as
looking downward and behaving humbly. Women are also expected to dress
modestly, especially keeping their knees and thighs covered. However, in
the cities many women have tried to maintain independence and resist
men's control. Many stay single and earn their own living at a
regular job or by doing some type of home-based work.

9 • LIVING CONDITIONS

In colonial times, the Tonga participated fully in agriculture as a
business. Early on, they were one of the few peoples to accept
agricultural improvements such as ox-drawn plows and the use of
fertilizer. Thus a relatively wealthy group of Tonga commercial farmers
developed. There also developed a series of smaller cities along the
railroad line, which helped create a rich class in the cities as well.
Today, these Tonga have modern homes and, occasionally, cars.

In rural areas, people live in isolated homesteads or villages
consisting of a few
huts. In most cases, houses, granaries, and cattle
kraals
(corrals) are temporary structures that can be easily left behind when
new fields must be cleared. With the coming of commercial farming and a
cash economy, some modern, durable houses have been built. Their roofs
are corrugated iron sheets.

As in other parts of Zambia, tropical diseases such as malaria,
bilharzia, and intestinal worms are quite common among the Tonga.

10 • FAMILY LIFE

Similar to many African societies, family among the Tonga extends to the
wider extended unit rather than the nuclear family of wife, husband, and
children. The extended family, much like a clan, shares many tasks,
including farming and the provision of food. In times of trouble, such
as famine and drought, the extended family serves as a safety net.

Bearing as many children as possible is important in a Tonga marriage.
Children are valued for their labor and as "social
security" for parents in old age. There is a feeling nowadays
that modern city life has made families less stable and that the divorce
rate is much higher than it used to be. Many women are staying single
and breaking away from the traditional rules that kept women in a lower
position.

11 • CLOTHING

Clothing among the Tonga is used to differentiate the sexes. As soon as
children begin to run about, girls are given a dress or a skirt, while
boys are given a shirt and a pair of shorts. Children are taught that
boys and girls wear different types of clothes; thus, dress marks the
beginning of sex identification. Some women in the cities do wear pants
and shirts, but most women still prefer traditional women's
clothing.

12 • FOOD

Most of the area in which the Tonga live is rural. Most people follow a
subsistence way of life, growing food mainly for their own needs with
little left over. Maize is the main staple; others include millet and
sorghum. The diet consists of
inshima
(thick porridge), eaten with either meat and gravy or vegetables such
as beans and pumpkin leaves. A group of relatives eat from the same
dish. With their fingers, they break off a piece of inshima and dip it
in gravy before eating it.

13 • EDUCATION

Most parents send their children to a nearby primary school. At school
they learn a few basic subjects such as English, biology, and
arithmetic. After eight years of primary school, some students are
selected to attend high school, which is modeled on the British system
of education. Subjects may include mathematics, chemistry, physics, and
biology. The few lucky students who do extremely well in government
examinations are selected to attend the university or different types of
colleges.

In 1976, the government of Zambia made education free in the hope that
more people would take advantage of this opportunity. The result has
been a great increase in literacy (ability to read and write). Some
parents, especially in the cities, value education highly and have great
hopes for their children. In rural areas, however, children's
labor is viewed as more important to daily living.

14 • CULTURAL HERITAGE

Music, dance, and literature are part of Tonga daily life. Grandparents
tell stories around the evening fire passing on knowledge and principles
to the children. Each story can have several different lessons for both
the young and the old. The lessons may be as varied as how to act
clever, how to be imaginative, how to be smart and get a beautiful
girl's attention, how to be successful by working hard, and how
to behave in certain situations.

15 • EMPLOYMENT

Most of the Tonga people are subsistence farmers, with only a little
surplus food to sell for money. They also raise cattle and goats.
Livestock add to the diet but are mainly a source of wealth. Cattle are
also important in paying bride-wealth for marriage.

Some local farmers who have adopted Western farming techniques have
become relatively wealthy and are in a special class of their own.

Many educated city people find jobs in the government. Others find jobs
as teachers, nurses, or office workers, Some work on the railway. Others
sell fish, salt, sugar, and other basic products in open markets.

16 • SPORTS

Even in the most remote parts of Tongaland, soccer (locally called
"football") is the favored sport for boys and young men.
There is usually a makeshift soccer field in each village. Whenever a
ball is available, boys play soccer until they are exhausted.
Schoolgirls like to play netball, a game somewhat like basketball. In
well-equipped high schools, boys and girls participate in sports
familiar to students in the West, such as tennis, badminton, and
gymnastics. In rural areas, boys and girls make up games and play
together when they have free time from household chores.

17 • RECREATION

The most popular game among boys and girls who have not reached
adolescence is playing house. Children build playhouses at the edge of
the village and pretend they are adults. Girls take on the roles of
women, and boys the roles of men. Girls do the cooking and boys come to
eat the food.

Although game is rare, men still like to go out hunting and fishing in
the nearby woodlands and rivers.

Drumming, singing, and dancing at beer parties, funerals, and naming
ceremonies are frequent activities among the Tonga. At beer parties, men
and women dance together.

18 • CRAFTS AND HOBBIES

Pottery, carvings, baskets, and mats are crafted by older men and women
for use in their daily lives. Pots are made in various sizes for drawing
water, cooking, brewing beer, and storing grain and other foods.

19 • SOCIAL PROBLEMS

At the time when Zambians were demanding independence from British rule,
one of the most famous politicians in Zambia was
Harry Nkumbula, a school teacher from Tongaland. Alongside
Bemba-speaking leaders such as Simon Kapwepwe and Kenneth Kaunda, he
opposed colonial rule. In time, Nkumbula lost the support of Kaunda and
Kapwepwe. He was pushed aside in the new, independent Zambia. Naturally,
the Tonga were not pleased. Nkumbula continued to draw support from his
ethnic group. It became a political force against President Kaunda.
Although the government of Kaunda did not punish the Tonga openly, few
Tonga were invited to join in national politics. Despite the ethnic
hostility between the Tonga and the government leadership, however,
human rights in Zambia have generally been better than in other African
dictatorships.

User Contributions:

it is a good article but i think it was going to be more better if u included the initiation celemonies and the education of the youths.other things is that in some area yrs are incorrect ie the independence day of zmb. please if the art can be updated it can be good.

I don't think it is true that Tongas people talk openly about menstruation. This is one of the taboo subjects among our people. It is always a subject discussed in secret and out of children's hearing distance.

Hello
I am writing to you from South Africa an want to know more a bout this culture names and meanings Shametja, Hamalengwa. Because my Grandfather was from Zambia before he settle here in South Africa, an they say he changed his surname from Hamalengwa or Hameja to Shametja. He died before he can explain to us where he was from.
Any information that you can give will help me a lot as I really feel lost an I want to know exactly who am I an my what culture do I belong to.
Presently I am in South Africa an I am working so hard to visit Zambia where I believe I belong.

Very educative article. I believe this documentation saves as a motivation factor to a number of us who would like to embark on similar research projects so that we can contribute to the existing indigenous knowledge. Author, you are great and your article shows sound research works. Stay blessed.

I am from the Kindom of Tonga,south pacific. I really love reading this article and I'm the only one in the Kindom believed that we were traditionally came from the Tonga Tribe,Suothern Zambia.I love to see more myths if applicable please.Thanks a lots for the articles.